Their Ghosts
by Bl00dstain3d
Summary: Alfred and Beau didn't like ghosts,they were terrified of them, but that wasn't always the case. Neither of them beleived in ghosts, until the ghosts of the biggest sibling rivalry in history had made themselves known, and they were angry


Welcome to my latest Civil War fic. This one's dedicated to my high school's fine arts department for their rendition of the Broadway musical "The Civil War."

Rating: M for implied violence, death, some drinking, a few swear words, and possible insanity of the characters.

Statistic Source: civilwarhome(DOT)com(BACKSLASH)battles(DOT)htm

Inspired by : Judgment Day (From the musical). Specifically the line which inspired the title: _Walk among their ghosts with me_; as well as the fact that Arlington was made a cemetery in the Civil War to freak out Confederate General Robert E. Lee, who ironically was NOT a Southern supporter until Virginia seceded from the Union and was presumed to be against slavery.

Also: Ignore the illogic. I KNOW Beau and Alfred couldn't be at every one of these battles. But these are the ten most costly battles in the Civil War, listed in chronological order, not by casualty totals. One last thing. Beau's soldiers know who he is, only Alfred's general knows. Other than their bosses.

Standard Disclaimers apply…except to Beau.

Let me know if you find any errors & I'll fix em.

* * *

><p>Battle: Fort Donelson<p>

Location: Tennessee

Date: February 13-16, 1862

Battle Death toll: 19,455

Confederacy: 16,623 of 21,000 engaged

Union: 2,832 of 27,000 engaged

Winner: Union

* * *

><p>Alfred held a brief moment of gloating over his brother. He'd trashed the Confederate army, perhaps he was getting too cocky too early, but he couldn't help it. Beau had issued a challenge by starting this rebellion, and he could expect the full wrath of the Union for it. The moment was over, and the harsh reality of war hit. Men had died over the last three days, men were STILL dying. A death chill settled in the air. Alfred didn't believe in ghosts, so when England had told them that the ghosts of those killed in battle linger, he'd scoffed at him, Beau had outright laughed. Alfred scoffed again.<p>

"Superstitious Brits…messing with my mind."

Beau was fuming. Alfred had taken his rebellion as a joke, then retaliated with force once forced to see that it was not a joke, and no one was laughing. Alfred was probably over in his camp laughing at him. He couldn't believe he'd lost. Most of his men were dead or dying! Something was going to have to be done about this. Beau would have his freedom, family be damned.

"Goddamn Yankee…"

* * *

><p>Battle: Shiloh<p>

Location: Tennessee

Date: April 6-7, 1862

Battle Death toll: 23,741

Confederacy: 10,694 of 40,335 engaged

Union: 13,047 of 62,682 engaged

Winner: Union

* * *

><p>Alfred's moment of gloating grew to two moments. He'd beaten Beau again! At this rate the war would be over soon! But Alfred knew it didn't work that way, Beau had to be <em>crushed<em> not just beaten, else the Southerner would try this little stunt again. Men had died, were dying, and would continue to die for their causes, no changing that. Men died no matter what, but Alfred was eternal, or as eternal as a nation of his age could get, and he wanted his Union, not the civil strife that had broken out. The death chill over the battlefield had crept into Alfred's tent. He shook it off, got up and went out to the fire.

"Damn Rebels."

Beau was furious. Alfred had beaten him yet again! His army wasn't decimated, but his men had taken a beating. Like him, they hadn't taken the beating lying down, they'd inflicted a good amount of damage to Alfred's troops, and that was a consoling notion…even if the number paled in comparison to the number of Union soldiers left alive. If he had his way, not a single blue clad soldier would have left the battlefield.

* * *

><p>Battle: Second Manassas<p>

Location: Virginia

Date: August 29-30, 1862

Battle Death toll: 25,251

Confederacy: 9,197 of 48,527 engaged

Union: 16,054 of 75,696 engaged

Winner: Confederacy

* * *

><p>A rebel yell broke across the battlefield, the one uttering the cry leaping into the air. Beau was very happy, he'd won the battle. Alfred DARED challenge him on HIS territory, and Beau had whipped his brother and his army. The death chill of the near silent battlefield settled against the Southerner's skin. He ignored it in his celebration. The air grew colder, but not in a way measurable by degrees. He went to join his soldiers in their celebration.<p>

To say Alfred wasn't happy was an understatement. He'd had the advantage in numbers…suddenly, he remembered his Revolution. England had the clear advantage, he had more soldiers, trained soldiers too, not just a ragtag militia, but he'd known the land. He'd had the strategic advantage. Alfred knew Virginia, but Beau owned it. Beau lived there. Virginia was Southern territory, and Beau had proven that over the last two days.

"I _will_ reunify this country, Beau, just you wait and see."

* * *

><p>Battle: Antietam<p>

Location: Maryland

Date: September 17th 1862

Battle Death toll: 26,134

Confederacy: 13,724 of 51,844 engaged

Union: 12,410 of 75,316 engaged

Winner: Inconclusive

* * *

><p>Beau stood on the battlefield after the Battle of Sharpsburg, the battle had ended in a draw…but Alfred had the victory strategically. Over 13,000 casualties on his side, over 10,000 new ghosts to haunt him.<p>

Alfred had stood in shock on the battlefield after the bloodbath at Antietam. He'd strategically beaten Beau, but at the loss of over 12,000 soldiers, all of them new ghosts to haunt his waking nightmares.

The two looked up from the carnage, seeing their ghosts standing there. Alfred had fallen to his knees in the blood soaked mud, screaming. Beau felt like doing the same, but refused to show his brother weakness.

* * *

><p>Battle: Stone's River<p>

Location: Tennessee

Date: December 31, 1862

Battle Death toll: 24,645

Confederacy: 11,739 of 37,739 engaged

Union: 12,906 of 41,400 engaged

Winner: Union

* * *

><p>Alfred stared across the battlefield, shock setting in. More dead, more dying, more ghosts to haunt his dreams. Alfred knew Beau was experiencing the same thing. His people…their people, were killing each other in their names. He wasn't The United States of America anymore, no matter how much Lincoln called him that, he was Union America…he couldn't be united again until Beau came to his senses. He heard a scream of anguish, louder than the cries of the dying, echo across the battlefield.<p>

Beau had finally allowed himself to break. He screamed, in anguish, pain, and frustration. His losses were beginning to hurt, not just his ego, but physically. He screamed for his people, his soldiers, the uncertain fate of his country.

* * *

><p>Battle: Chancellorsville<p>

Location: Virginia

Date: May 1-4, 1864

Battle Death toll: 30,099

Confederacy: 12,821 of 60,892 engaged

Union: 17,278 of 133,868 engaged

Winner: Confederacy

* * *

><p>Beau ran a hand through his hair, it was long for a Confederate general, and he'd need a hair cut soon, else the men might mistake him for a woman in uniform, and <em>that<em> would not be good. They'd won the battle, but as Beau had reminded them, they had yet to win the war. He joined them by the fire, saying a quick prayer for his dead.

"God forgive me."

Alfred sat with his general, planning their next move, but he was distracted, he'd lost in Virginia again. He'd left Virginia when the war started, but it had always been home to him, and he wanted to return to stay. If this war continued, he wouldn't be able to without seeing ghosts. Alfred shuddered and joined some of his men by the fire, remembering something England had said about spirits not liking fire.

* * *

><p>Battle: Gettysburg<p>

Location: Pennsylvania

Date: July 1-3, 1863

Battle Death toll: 51,112

Confederacy: 28,063 of 75,000 engaged

Union: 23,049 of 82,289 engaged

Winner: Union

* * *

><p>Alfred was tired. Three days of fighting were taking their toll on everyone, human and nation alike. The ghosts weren't letting him sleep when he had the luxury. He wouldn't be the first to break down, many of his soldiers had already. He'd broken down at Antietam, but not since, and he could feel a breakdown approaching. He'd won this one, but it didn't feel like it.<p>

Beau had seen many gruesome things in this war, but nothing like what he'd just witnessed. A soldier, no older than he and Alfred appeared, had taken suicide in front of Beau. The soldier's blood decorated his uniform, and splattered his cheek. This soldier…no….this man had much to live for, a young wife, who was with child.

Beau wrote to her personally.

* * *

><p>~Battle: Chickamauga<p>

Location: Georgia

Date: September 19-20, 1863

Battle Death toll: 66,326

Confederacy: 18,454 of 66,326 engaged

Union: 10,170 of 58,222 engaged

Winner: Confederacy

* * *

><p>Beau screamed. He screamed for his dead. His living soldiers were giving him space. The first time this had happened, his general had explained who he was, and that the war had begun to physically hurt him. He kept screaming until his voice gave out. Winning was becoming more and more painful, leading to more and more screaming.<p>

"God save me."

Alfred rubbed his bandaged arm, Beau had gotten a lucky shot…but had Alfred been any less lucky, he'd be dead. The shot had broken his arm, but a broken arm was a small price to pay for being alive. It wouldn't kill him, unlike some of his soldiers. He'd declined having the ball removed, others needed the surgical attention, he'd do it himself, under supervision of his general, when the other soldiers were asleep.

"The South will fall. I swear it."

* * *

><p>Battle: The Wilderness<p>

Location: Virginia

Date: May 5-7, 1864

Battle Death toll: 25,416

Confederacy: 7,750 of 61,025 engaged

Union: 17,666 of 101,895 engaged

Winner: Inconclusive

* * *

><p>Alfred smirked. He'd made headway, a draw in the South. Every little victory over Beau was celebrated, ghosts or no ghosts. The men had acquired whiskey from a Northern supporter, and were raising their spirits. Alfred didn't drink, that was Beau's thing. The two tried to be as different as possible, which was hard, because they were the same person.<p>

Beau had no voice left for screaming, he'd settled for kicking Union corpses. He knew it was wrong to dishonor the dead, but they were Yankees, and to him Yankees deserved no honor.

"I'll beat ya. Ya goddamn bastard."

* * *

><p>Battle: Spotsylvania<p>

Location: Virginia

Date: May 8-19, 1864

Battle Death toll: 27,399

Confederacy: 9,000 of 50,000 engaged

Union: 18,399 of 83,000 engaged

Winner: Confederacy

* * *

><p>For the first time in a long time, Beau didn't feel like screaming. He'd won on his own land, again. Virginia seemed to be a good luck charm for him. Virginia was his home, and he'd be damned if he let that Yankee bastard live here again. His plantation was still standing, his staff still alive, a scout sent to the plantation bore such news. Beau had a feeling it would be Alfred's target.<p>

Alfred had a deep gash in his leg, a soldier had gotten a hit in with a saber. He could get gangrene, so he'd treated himself as soon as he could. He'd be out of commission for a while though, and the thought made him rage. He screamed, in rage, pain, and anguish.

"I will be unified, even if I have to kill you, _brother."_


End file.
